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The New England quarterback is entering what may be the most challenging season of his career because of the lack of familiarity with his new and youthful receiving corps. The pressure would certainly be alleviated by a large, healthy target named Rob Gronkowski, but he's likely to miss the first six games of the season.

What that means is that the four exhibition contests looming over the next few weeks will prove all the more important for Brady to work on his chemistry with the likes of Wes Welker hopeful Danny Amendola, and rookies Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, Kenbrell Thompkins, and media favorite Zach Sudfeld.

In Brady's 11 preseasons, he has sat in only three openers (2005, 2008, 2011). In his eight appearances, he has averaged 2.4 series and 14.4 plays. Credit to the Boston Herald's Jeff Howefor the research.

We don't know at this point if the future Hall of Famer will be on the field Friday night but my prediction is, yes, he'll play and it will be for at least two series. In fact, I'm banking on three, something he has not done since 2009. Brady has looked great so far in training camp, but the early repetitions with his pass-catchers right now are just as valuable as getting him rest. Now let's just hope he doesn't get hurt.

About this blog

Adam Kaufman is a writer and broadcaster who can also be heard regularly on 98.5 The Sports Hub, WBZ NewsRadio 1030, the national CBS Sports Radio Network, and broadcasting Boston College hockey games. The Massachusetts native is a Syracuse grad and a pop culture fanatic who offers a unique and entertaining look at your favorite Boston sports teams. Please don't hold his love for Jean-Claude Van Damme movies against him.